Qualification
Accredited
GCSE (9–1)
Transition Guide
DRAMA
J316
For first teaching in 2016
KS3–KS4
Performing
Version 1
www.ocr.org.uk/drama
Introduction
GCSE (9–1)
DRAMA
This transition guide has been created to be a flexible tool for teachers and students.
It can be used as a series of activities making a scheme of work in Year 9 to assess whether students would be able to cope with the demands of an a
GCSE (9-1) in Drama.
The activities suggested can also be used and adapted to make a taster lesson to see if students would like to study the subject at a higher level.
The check point tasks baseline assessment criteria can also be used by teachers to create their own tasks using their own resources, scripts and
stimuli available in their centre.
Mapping KS3 to KS4
Page 3
Checkpoint tasks
Page 5
Teaching activities
Page 6
GCSE (9–1) Drama
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© OCR 2015
Checkpoint task
Teaching Activities
Key Stage 3 Content
Topic: Performing
KS3 to KS4
Mapping KS3 to KS4
Key Stage 4 Content
KS3 classes may have experience of exploring a variety of
In GCSE (9-1) Drama students are required to do the following:
themes or texts. Lessons may have introduced a variety
• Study of a minimum of two performance texts, one explored in full and
key extracts explored from a second contrasting text.
of conventions and rehearsal techniques. Students will
have developed skills in devising their own responses to
• Practical participation in a minimum of two performances, one devised
and one text based.
given stimuli as well as being introduced to and having to
interpret texts from a variety of genres. It is inherent and
• Demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of Drama including:
genre, structure, character, form and style, dialogue and stage directions.
implicit in GCSE Drama that these skills and competencies
are now taken to a much higher level.
• Use subject specific terminology accurately.
• Be aware of design challenges inherent in a variety of performing spaces.
This can cover the design of costume, set and props, as well as the
technical world of lighting, sound and projection.
• Understand key differences between the roles of performer, designer and
director.
• Use research, collaboration and refining work through rehearsal to create
their own original performances.
GCSE (9–1) Drama
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Checkpoint task
Teaching Activities
Topic: Performing
KS3 to KS4
Mapping KS3 to KS4
Comment
Some students will have participated in Key Stage 3 Drama in discrete lessons
or as part of their English Curriculum lessons. It must also be recognised that for
some pupils, due to a more introverted nature or a lack of self-confidence, taking
an active part in a Drama class can be a daunting experience. It is important that,
as the time approaches for pupils to make their examination subject choices,
they are given a clear idea of just how much more demanding the examination
course is likely to be. The shy might find this difficult. It is also useful to make clear
to those who are likely to want to ‘show off’ that a degree of academic rigour is
required.
This transition guide outlines checkpoint tasks for Key Stage 3 students to allow
them to explore the skills which they will develop during the GCSE course.
The exemplar task has been selected as an illustration of the checkpoint task.
Teachers can choose to use this directly with their students as one off lessons, or
to incorporate it into schemes of work.
The text based example tackles the prejudices and challenges faced when a
class first encounters a Shakespeare text. This will give students a clear idea of the
challenges they will face at GCSE. Thinking over their experience of the tasks and
the challenges they encountered will aid them in making an informed decision
as to whether GCSE Drama is a course they wish to pursue.
GCSE (9–1) Drama
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Checkpoint task
Teaching Activities
At the start of the GCSE students should be able to:
Checkpoint task success criteria – Devising Exemplar
•
Take risks in attempting practical work in front of others.
Students should be able to:
•
Attempt new ideas, offering more than a repetitive limited response.
•
Demonstrate they can accept challenge and risk and that they are willing to
take on new ideas rather than simply relying on the familiar.
•
Work independently and collaboratively in response to set stimulus
materials.
•
Demonstrate they can work both independently and collaboratively with
any other class member to solve challenges encountered.
•
Attempt working with given written texts of differing styles.
•
•
Accurately express well-reasoned opinion over what works and what doesn’t
work.
Demonstrate they can meet the demands posed by working with a range of
styles likely to be encountered in any given set text.
•
Demonstrate they can apply accurate analysis to set challenges, which
in turn demonstrates they have acquired a sound base of theoretical
knowledge from which to base their opinions.
•
Demonstrate the ability to take on board criticism of their own work and can
use any given critical comment to positively enhance their outcomes.
•
Take criticism easily, and to have fun!
GCSE (9–1) Drama
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Topic: Performing
Checkpoint task
Mapping KS3 to KS4
Teaching activities
Possible challenge and extension tasks
A text based example: Shakespeare’s “King John Act 4 Scene 1”.
The following variations and extensions may be more possible and / or desirable:
Approaching Shakespeare in KS3 may feel intimidating for both pupil and teacher
alike; but the Drama teacher, free from the more formal expectations of the English
curriculum can embrace the simpler ambition of encouraging their class to explore and
enjoy the text in action.
•
A thoughtful setting out of the performing space to create different setting for
different scenes can enhance the end result. Similarly the crafted selection of
important props will also provide an enhanced end result.
•
A performer can play more than one role to illustrate the tale. The techniques
available to a performer to switch between roles can be found in several theatrical
traditions.
•
The use of other technology (sound / video) can enable a performer to pre-record
themselves playing complimentary roles to interact with.
In the resources the KS3 class are invited to explore a slimmed down version of the text
or students can be challenged to the full unabridged text. The scene can be tackled
by groups of three to five. It contains two principal speaking roles with others being
required to say little. The selected scene works successfully on its own without needing
to study the rest of the play. If the pupils are given sufficient time and are encouraged to
explore how the scene works in practice, they will enjoy themselves and their fear over
language will be diminished. Success for KS3 could be ‘We made it work!’ ‘We enjoyed it!’
‘We are not scared of Shakespeare!’
Many of the problems of how to speak Shakespearian text go away when it is laid out
in a contemporary play-script format, rather than the traditional iambic pentameter
verse. The scene has a minimum of three characters up to a maximum of five or so. Only
two of the characters are required to speak for any significant amount. It is well suited
to small group exploration, where the lesser speaking characters can act as directors
for the main two protagonists. Resources required are simply enough copies of the
text, a chair, and enough space for the class to work. The example is set out in a line of
progressive activities which would be spread over a series of lessons to suit the time
available to the teacher.
It is suggested that this text extract is given to the class without any of the introductory
explanation given below. Simply start at “Scene. A room ...” etc. to preserve the
anonymity of the author until later in the lesson.
In this scene from Shakespeare’s play of King John an old Lord (Hubert) has been given a
command by the King to carry out an action. It is a test of the Old Lord’s loyalty to King
John. Will he carry out the command? The young Prince (Arthur) is a potential future
threat to the King’s authority.
GCSE (9–1) Drama
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Topic: Performing
Introduction to activities
Teaching activities
KS3 to KS4 Transition:
Performing activities
Overall aims
1. To introduce students to Shakespeare in action.
2. To overcome any prejudice or fear they may have over their ability to work with challenging texts.
3. To aid students in assessing how much they might enjoy GCSE Drama.
Activity 1: Introducing the task and starting the exploration
1. You should consider where appropriate working groups in advance. There will need to be at least two competent
readers per group. Other pupils will be able to play the lesser executioner roles without being pressured to read
aloud. Students should work in groups of approximately four.
2. Arrange groups and explain that the class are going to work on the challenge of bringing a play-script to life. Giving
out the text (see page 10), do not say what it is, or who it is by. Give the class a few minutes to read the scripts
through together in groups and then pulls them back together to answer any questions they might have over any
of the words.
3. Ask questions of the students such as:
• What is this about?
• What is this meant to be like?
• What do you need to be able to make this work?
• Are there any particular questions about the meaning of words?
4. Reveal to the students that the scene is from a Shakespeare play.
5. Ask the class to put the scene into action, deciding who will be best within each group to play which role and get
them to become familiar with the events of the scene.
Topic: Performing
7
Copyright © OCR 2016
Teaching activities
Activity 2: Focussing on and understanding how the scene is structured
1. As the whole class, re-read the scene together. Ask the students to consider:
•
What are the key moments in the scene?
•
If you made this scene into a story board, which moments would you draw?
2. The students prepare a series of still images from the scene to act as stepping stones or a story board drawing of the
action. Each image is to have a spoken caption in their presentation. Get students to focus on the details e.g. ‘where
are their eyes looking?’ ‘What are their faces trying to show us?’
3. Present the images to the class. Have all the groups included the same moments? Look out for both similarities and
any important differences.
4. Summarise the similarities in the choice of key moments. Why did these scenes seem important?
Activity 3: Agreeing staging requirements as a group to perform the
scene in a given performance space
Agreeing staging requirements as a group to perform the scene in a given performance space
1. Set out the performing space with the class. This will be a “thrust stage” presentation to echo the space at the Globe
theatre with the class sitting in a three sided formation looking onto an empty performing space. There is one chair
to represent a stool in the scene, which can be moved anywhere in the area. Agreement needs to be reached on
the positions of two entrances from the back of the space.
2. Review the key moments from activity 2. If they are performed on the thrust stage will everyone in the audience
be able to see clearly what they need to see or do the prepared stills need to be altered? In their working groups,
prepare the whole scene for the performance space given. Concentrate on linking together their previously agreed
key moments into one continuous performance.
3. Perform in the space and peer assess from different parts of the audience.
Topic: Performing
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Copyright © OCR 2016
Teaching activities
Activity 4: Encouraging a postive exploration of the language
This activity is aimed at diminishing any fears about understanding old words and also that the same words can
be spoken in different ways.
1. In pairs say the following phrase in as many different ways as possible.
‘Hey, you are really clever aren’t you!?’
2. How does the meaning change? Are there different phrases the student can think of which have two meanings
depending on how they are said?
3. Now turn the attention to the script. The text of this scene is something like 400 years old. Does it still make sense?
Can we understand it? The teacher asks “how is it possible for the actors to speak the words sensibly if they do not
have a full understanding of what they actually mean?” Explain how to use tone and pace when speaking lines.
4. There can be a misguided temptation for some pupils that Shakespeare is spoken well if it is spoken with great
rapidity! Sometimes monosyllabic words sound best if spoken very softly and slowly. For example “In sooth I know
not why I am so sad” sounds mundane if rattled off at a brisk pace, but has a very different atmosphere if taken very
slowly and thoughtfully.
5. Back in their working groups, ask the class to consider voice alongside the action they have already rehearsed. Ask
students to consider “How we can we be sure that we make it sound as good as we can as well as look as good as
we can?”
They need time to rehearse and refine the scene. Again recording and playback facilities will be helpful to them in
reviewing their efforts.
Activity 5: Enjoyment and engagement - find an agreed answer to
the question ‘Can we perform Shakespeare?’
1. It is time to let them give their final performances of the scene. The audiences are asked to describe the moments
they really liked from each one, but there may not be time for detailed analysis of each performance.
2. After the performances pose the challenge to create the best version of all the moments in the scene. Whose scenes
would you use for each moment? Students can have a go at creating this best performance.
3. You could record the performance for playback, or, if possible, show to a new audience. (This could be another
teacher(s) or member of support staff - someone whose opinion the students value) - who is brought in to watch
the final performance.)
4. Feedback from the audience. “Can we do Shakespeare or is it impossible?” Hopefully there is a feeling of shared
success.
Topic: Performing
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Copyright © OCR 2016
Teaching activities
EDITED SCENE. A room in a castle. Enter an OLD LORD (Hubert) and 2
Executioners.
OLD LORD Heat me these irons hot; and look thou stand within the arras. When
I strike my foot upon the ground, rush forth, and bind the boy which you shall find
with me fast to the chair. Be heedful. Hence, and watch.
PRINCE Are you sick, Hubert? You look pale to-day. I would you were a little
sick, that I might sit all night and watch over you. I warrant I love you more than
you do me.
FIRST EXECUTIONER: I hope your warrant will bear out the deed.
OLD LORD [Aside] His words do take possession of my heart. Read here, young
Arthur. (Showing him a paper. Then speaks aside) I must be brief, lest resolution drop
out at mine eyes in tender womanish tears. (To Prince) Can you not read it? Is it
not fairly written?
OLD LORD Fear not. Look to it. (Exeunt Executioners. He calls off stage) Young
lad, come forth; I have to speak with you.
PRINCE Too fairly, Hubert, for so foul effect. Must you with hot irons burn out
both mine eyes?
(Enter PRINCE (Arthur). A boy of Primary School age)
OLD LORD
PRINCE Good morrow Hubert.
PRINCE
OLD LORD Good morrow, little prince.
OLD LORD
PRINCE You are sad.
PRINCE Have you the heart? When your head did but ache, I put my
handkerchief about your brows, the best I had, a princess wrought it for me, and
I did never ask you for it again. And with my hand at midnight held your head,
saying, ‘Where lies your grief? Many a poor man’s son would have never spoken
a loving word to you, but you at your sick service had a Prince. Will you put out
mine eyes? These eyes that never did nor never shall so much as frown on you.
OLD LORD Indeed, I have been merrier.
PRINCE Methinks nobody should be sad but I. If I were out of prison and kept
sheep, I should be as merry as the day is long. And so I would be here, but my
uncle practises more harm to me. He is afraid of me and I of him. Is it my fault that
I was Geoffrey’s son? No, indeed, it is not. I would to heaven I were your son, so
you would love me.
OLD LORD [Aside] If I talk to him, with his innocent prattle he will wake my
mercy which lies dead. Therefore I will be sudden and dispatch.
GCSE (9–1) Drama
Young boy, I must.
And will you?
And I will.
OLD LORD I have sworn to do it. And with hot irons must I burn them out.
PRINCE Ah, if an angel should have come to me and told me Hubert should put
out mine eyes, I would not have believed him.
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Topic: Performing
King John by William Shakespeare
Act IV, Scene 1 (edited)
Teaching activities
PRINCE O, save me, Hubert, save me! My eyes are out even with the fierce looks
of these bloody men.
OLD LORD
Give me the iron, and bind him here. (They start to do so)
PRINCE Alas, why need you be so rough? I will not struggle, I will stand stone
still.
For heaven sake, Hubert, let me not be bound! Drive these men away, and I will
sit as quiet as a lamb. I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word. Thrust these men
away, and I’ll forgive you, whatever torment you do put me to.
OLD LORD
Go, stand within. Let me be alone with him.
FIRST EXECUTIONER I am best pleased to be from such a deed.
(Exit Executioners)
PRINCE He hath a stern look, but a gentle heart. Let him come back, that his
compassion may give life to yours.
OLD LORD
OLD LORD I can heat it again, boy.
PRINCE No, the fire is dead with grief. See for yourself. There is no malice in this
burning coal. The breath of heaven has blown his spirit out.
OLD LORD
But with my breath I can revive it, boy.
PRINCE An if you do, you will but make it blush and glow with shame of your
proceedings.
OLD LORD (Lowering the poker) Well, see to live; I will not touch thy eye for all the
treasure that your uncle owes. Yet am I sworn and I did intend it, boy.
PRINCE Oh, now you look like Hubert! All this while you were disguised.
OLD LORD Peace; no more. Adieu. Your uncle must not know but you are dead.
I’ll fill these dogged spies with false reports. And, pretty child, sleep doubtless and
secure, that Hubert, for the wealth of all the world, will not offend thee.
PRINCE Oh heaven! I thank you, Hubert.
OLD LORD Silence. No more: go closely in with me. Much danger do I undergo
for thee. (They exit via a different door. The old man knows he will probably now lose
his own life when King John finds out he failed to carry out the command)
Come, boy, prepare yourself.
PRINCE: Is there no remedy?
OLD LORD
None, but to lose your eyes. Now hold your tongue.
PRINCE Let me not hold my tongue, let me not. Or, if you will, cut out my
tongue, so I may keep mine eyes. O, spare mine eyes. Though to no use but still
to look on you! (He sees the heat has gone from the poker) Lo, the instrument is cold
and would not harm me.
GCSE (9–1) Drama
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Topic: Performing
OLD LORD (Calls to executioners) Come forth. (He stamps his foot. The
Executioners, with cords to bind the Prince, and carrying a glowing hot poker re-enter)
Do as I bid you do.
Teaching activities
Act IV, Scene 1 (original) SCENE I. A room in a castle. Enter HUBERT and Executioners
So I were out of prison and kept sheep,
HUBERT: Heat me these irons hot; and look thou stand
I should be as merry as the day is long;
Within the arras: when I strike my foot
And so I would be here, but that I doubt
Upon the bosom of the ground, rush forth,
My uncle practises more harm to me:
And bind the boy which you shall find with me
He is afraid of me and I of him:
Fast to the chair: be heedful: hence, and watch.
Is it my fault that I was Geffrey’s son?
First Executioner
No, indeed, is’t not; and I would to heaven
HUBERT
I hope your warrant will bear out the deed.
Uncleanly scruples! fear not you: look to’t.
I were your son, so you would love me, Hubert.
(Exeunt Executioners)
HUBERT [Aside] If I talk to him, with his innocent prate
Young lad, come forth; I have to say with you.
He will awake my mercy which lies dead:
(Enter ARTHUR)
Therefore I will be sudden and dispatch.
ARTHUR Good morrow, Hubert.
ARTHUR Are you sick, Hubert? you look pale to-day:
HUBERT Good morrow, little prince.
In sooth, I would you were a little sick,
ARTHUR As little prince, having so great a title
That I might sit all night and watch with you:
To be more prince, as may be. You are sad.
I warrant I love you more than you do me.
HUBERT
HUBERT
Indeed, I have been merrier.
His words do take possession of my bosom.
ARTHUR: Mercy on me!
Read here, young Arthur. (Showing a paper)
Methinks no body should be sad but I:
(Aside)
Yet, I remember, when I was in France,
How now, foolish rheum!
Young gentlemen would be as sad as night,
Turning dispiteous torture out of door!
Only for wantonness. By my christendom,
I must be brief, lest resolution drop
GCSE (9–1) Drama
Topic: Performing
King John by William Shakespeare
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© OCR 2015
Teaching activities
Why then you must. Will you put out mine eyes?
Can you not read it? Is it not fair writ?
These eyes that never did nor never shall
ARTHUR
So much as frown on you.
Too fairly, Hubert, for so foul effect:
Must you with hot irons burn out both mine eyes?
HUBERT
HUBERT Young boy, I must.
And with hot irons must I burn them out.
ARTHUR: And will you?
ARTHUR
HUBERT
And I will.
The iron of itself, though heat red-hot,
ARTHUR
Have you the heart? When your head did but ache,
Approaching near these eyes, would drink my tears
Topic: Performing
Out at mine eyes in tender womanish tears.
I have sworn to do it;
Ah, none but in this iron age would do it!
I knit my handercher about your brows,
And quench his fiery indignation
The best I had, a princess wrought it me,
Even in the matter of mine innocence;
And I did never ask it you again;
Nay, after that, consume away in rust
And with my hand at midnight held your head,
But for containing fire to harm mine eye.
And like the watchful minutes to the hour,
Are you more stubborn-hard than hammer’d iron?
Still and anon cheer’d up the heavy time,
An if an angel should have come to me
Saying, ‘What lack you?’ and ‘Where lies your grief?’
And told me Hubert should put out mine eyes,
Or ‘What good love may I perform for you?’
I would not have believed him,--no tongue but Hubert’s.
Many a poor man’s son would have lien still
HUBERT Come forth.
And ne’er have spoke a loving word to you;
(Stamps. Re-enter Executioners, with a cord, irons)
But you at your sick service had a prince.
Do as I bid you do.
Nay, you may think my love was crafty love
ARTHUR
And call it cunning: do, an if you will:
Even with the fierce looks of these bloody men.
O, save me, Hubert, save me! my eyes are out
If heaven be pleased that you must use me ill,
GCSE (9–1) Drama
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Give me the iron, I say, and bind him here.
ARTHUR
ARTHUR
Alas, what need you be so boisterous-rough?
A grain, a dust, a gnat, a wandering hair,
O heaven, that there were but a mote in yours,
I will not struggle, I will stand stone-still.
Any annoyance in that precious sense!
For heaven sake, Hubert, let me not be bound!
Then feeling what small things are boisterous there,
Nay, hear me, Hubert, drive these men away,
Your vile intent must needs seem horrible.
And I will sit as quiet as a lamb;
HUBERT
Is this your promise? go to, hold your tongue.
I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word,
ARTHUR
Hubert, the utterance of a brace of tongues
Nor look upon the iron angerly:
Must needs want pleading for a pair of eyes:
Thrust but these men away, and I’ll forgive you,
Let me not hold my tongue, let me not, Hubert;
Whatever torment you do put me to.
Or, Hubert, if you will, cut out my tongue,
HUBERT
So I may keep mine eyes: O, spare mine eyes.
Go, stand within; let me alone with him.
First Executioner: I am best pleased to be from such a deed.
Though to no use but still to look on you!
(Exeunt Executioners)
Lo, by my truth, the instrument is cold
ARTHUR Alas, I then have chid away my friend!
And would not harm me.
He hath a stern look, but a gentle heart:
HUBERT
I can heat it, boy.
Let him come back, that his compassion may
ARTHUR
No, in good sooth: the fire is dead with grief,
Give life to yours.
Being create for comfort, to be used
HUBERT
Come, boy, prepare yourself.
In undeserved extremes: see else yourself;
ARTHUR
Is there no remedy?
There is no malice in this burning coal;
HUBERT
None, but to lose your eyes.
The breath of heaven has blown his spirit out
Topic: Performing
Teaching activities
HUBERT
And strew’d repentent ashes on his head.
HUBERT
GCSE (9–1) Drama
14
But with my breath I can revive it, boy.
© OCR 2015
Teaching activities
An if you do, you will but make it blush
HUBERT Silence; no more: go closely in with me:
And glow with shame of your proceedings, Hubert:
Much danger do I undergo for thee.
Nay, it perchance will sparkle in your eyes;
Exeunt
Topic: Performing
ARTHUR
And like a dog that is compell’d to fight,
Snatch at his master that doth tarre him on.
All things that you should use to do me wrong
Deny their office: only you do lack
That mercy which fierce fire and iron extends,
Creatures of note for mercy-lacking uses.
HUBERT
Well, see to live; I will not touch thine eye
For all the treasure that thine uncle owes:
Yet am I sworn and I did purpose, boy,
With this same very iron to burn them out.
ARTHUR
O, now you look like Hubert! all this while
You were disguised.
HUBERT
Peace; no more. Adieu.
Your uncle must not know but you are dead;
I’ll fill these dogged spies with false reports:
And, pretty child, sleep doubtless and secure,
That Hubert, for the wealth of all the world,
Will not offend thee.
ARTHUR
O heaven! I thank you, Hubert.
GCSE (9–1) Drama
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© OCR 2015
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